Miss Representation: Documentary, discussion expected to draw lots of moms and daughters

From local reports

The Girl Scouts, Outside the Lens, and the Junior League of San Diego have joined forces to present a screening of the documentary, “Miss Representation,” 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Sherwood Auditorium in the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, 700 Prospect St.

Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. It challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

“Miss Representation” includes stories from teen-age girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem.

“The film offers startling facts and statistics that will leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective,” write promoters in a press release.

A panel discussion will follow the screening, from 8 to 9 p.m. with these speakers:

• Caroline Heldman, Ph.D.,

an associate professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Heldman specializes in the presidency and systems of power in U.S. politics. She co-edited, “Rethinking Madame President: Are We Ready for a Woman in the White House?” (2007).

• Madeline Di Nonno

, director of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and its programming arm, See Jane. She works with the entertainment and media community to improve gender diversity in children’s entertainment.

• Dr. Divya Kakaiya,

a national expert on eating disorders and cross-cultural issues. She is on the Healthy Girls Healthy Lives Committee for the Girl Scouts of San Diego.•

Alisa Joyce Barba,

a journalist, will host the discussion. For the past 12 years, Barba has served as the Western Bureau Chief for National Public Radio. Based in San Diego, her work has focused heavily on military affairs, the impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the local community, and on veterans’ mental and physical health-care concerns.

Tickets

Presale: $10

at outsidethelens.org

; $15 at the door

Information: (

858) 349-7578

On the Web:

www.missrepresentation.org

Did you know?

• Women hold just 3% of clout positions in mainstream media

• The U.S. is 90th in the world in terms of women in national legislatures

• 65% of women and girls have an eating disorder

Source: Miss Representation